Booking system v no booking system

[DanFST]

Ours did the same thing. only 36% voted for no booking times.


"we are trialing no booking times following the overwhelming minority"

 

[Imurg]

We are introducing a hybrid system as of now.
On Competition days there is now a requirement to book a tee time and play is from the 1st tee only.
Booking opens 2 weeks before the Competition
The first one is the midweek stableford on the 23rd March.
As it's a Wednesday, the Seniors ( or Elders as they call themselves) normally have a rollup that starts from the 10th at 8.15.
I wonder how many will turn up without having booked a time and will, therefore, be turned away unless there is an available slot...

 

[Coreservers]

the 2 clubs i play regularly are constantly fully booked. one allows bookings 3 weeks in advance. but if you look, its the same people booking the same time every single day, then some non member society will have booked out 10-15 tee times from mid morning. The other is now getting to be the same, just cant get a round booked. i thin kits a good thing, the online booking but i do think booking it up every day is a bit of cheek

 

[Foxholer]

Hi all,

I didn’t want to hijack the ‘deal breaker’ thread and so thought it best to start another.

As mentioned previously, I’m now looking for a new club to join as mine’s closing. Choice is fairly limited now and I’ve narrowed it down to 3. The number 1 choice is only 15 mins away (the others are 25-35 mins away, more on a bad day), however, they don’t use a booking system. I spoke to the secretary the other day, I’m going to meet them tomorrow, but she was basically saying that they have comps on Saturdays (which suits me), and on Sundays it’s a case of turning up and they get everyone off as quickly as poss, teeing off from the 1st and the 10th.

The club I’m leaving has an annoying booking system where you can book 3 weeks in advance, 1 person blocks out the whole tee time, and unless you’re logging in at 7am all the best times are gone, and so I’m not coming from a great place as it is!

So anyway, I just wondered what your experience of this kind of system is?

Been at both style of clubs.
Advantages and disadvantages in both. On balance, booking suits me better, but I'm not the one constantly refreshing, at some ungodly hour, trying to get a slot!

 

[timd77]

Been at both style of clubs.
Advantages and disadvantages in both. On balance, booking suits me better, but I'm not the one constantly refreshing, at some ungodly hour, trying to get a slot!

I ended up joining the club that has a booking system, and it’s night and day compared to my last club. Booking opens 7 days in advance but even if you don’t get on there straight away you’ll still get a time. For example, I’ve just checked for this Sunday, 3 completely free times between 9-10am. Plus, you can book into free slots with other groups rather than a 1 ball blocking out the whole time. Much better.

 

[Oddsocks]

Trying to talk sense to people at my club but head and walk spring to mind. We release tee times in my opinion too early (3wks) and people forget to cancel until mid night the day before. I’ve visited the club several times (including good Friday) where the day was glorious, the booking was full but the first tee was empty.

I suggested that

* pre 11 at weekends should be no booking reserved for members, after all a full membership should have paid for these anyway?
* after 11 at weekends should be members booking slots available 1/2weeks in advance.
* anything after 11 at weekends is release for green fees on the Monday or even 72hrs before.

It seemed a balance between keeping members happy and earning revenue in quiet times….. denied!

 

[IanM]

We release times at 8pm, three days ahead. So book from 8pm Wednesday for the following Saturday.

There are no booking times at all on Sunday, Monday and Wednesday. It's turn up and ball in shoot.

This was a compromise for the close vote we had to keep or remove time bookings post covid restrictions.

I say that, a majority wanted them kept, but the folk who actually control the club wanted them gone.. Hence, they have gone on the two days the Seniors have their comps!

 

[Imurg]

We've gone to kind of hybrid system oof keeping the previous booking times (Sunday am for men, tues am for the ladies) and adding in booking on competition days with a 1 tee start. I like this as it's a right PITA to come round from the front 9 to be faced with a 30 minute wait to play the 10th..
At all other times its turn up and play....
We made the point to the powers that be that we need to have to book on potentially busy days like Bank Holidays...the queues to get on can be mind-knumbing.
We wait for late August bated breath....

 

[Bazz]

We've got a booking system at ours. Our usual 16.28 on a Friday is always free, turned up on Friday and a 3 ball were heading out just before without a booked tee time. It's really not difficult, some people just can't be arsed or don't want to adhere to it.

 

[Deleted member 30522]

I say that, a majority wanted them kept, but the folk who actually control the club wanted them gone.. Hence, they have gone on the two days the Seniors have their comps!

I find that quite remarkable, as a club that was formerly just turn up and go (we didn't even need a chute as it's never that busy), and as someone who I think more than all but one member I know of was expecting booking to be terrible for us, after a few teething problems with older members it's been a revelation, there's rarely a snarl up of any kind, and we have total visibility on who is playing, and guest fees being paid. There hasn't been one person suggesting we revert back.

 

[IanM]

In fairness to the committee, the majority of folk got what they wanted.... club is full and gets busy at peak times, rest of time is virtually empty!

 

[Voyager EMH]

We had a vote at our club



"It had been decided" to do away with the booking system and "Return to pre-Covid normal."

The vote overturned the "It has been decided" quite convincingly, I'm glad to say.

 

[Coreservers]

Club i play at has now become victim to a large group of members abusing the booking system. Not sure if this is widespread. I like the booking system. I thought it stopped course hogging, but clearly as there is no starter hut at the course, people just rock up, and and then do what they want. but if you aint got a time booked in advance you cant get on.
They book maybe 3-4 individual times. say 11:40 - 11:50 - 12:00 for example as single players.... then all tee off at the mid time as a 3 ball. giving themselves lovely space but blocking out loads of tee times... used to be easy to get on as a non member, i am in the 2-3 year waiting list for membership. but this is now blocking the entire days bookings.

 

[SwingsitlikeHogan]

Club i play at has now become victim to a large group of members abusing the booking system. Not sure if this is widespread. I like the booking system. I thought it stopped course hogging, but clearly as there is no starter hut at the course, people just rock up, and and then do what they want. but if you aint got a time booked in advance you cant get on.
They book maybe 3-4 individual times. say 11:40 - 11:50 - 12:00 for example as single players.... then all tee off at the mid time as a 3 ball. giving themselves lovely space but blocking out loads of tee times... used to be easy to get on as a non member, i am in the 2-3 year waiting list for membership. but this is now blocking the entire days bookings.

Someone in the club is not as awake as they should be to question those involved as this is simply abuse of the system. There may be an innocent explanation…however…

 

[Coreservers]

I can see the benefit of both. but. for working people (myself included) it's now impossible to get a Saturday or sunday morning round. This week i was awake at 05:30, as it goes live at 6am for 7 days ahead. thought I'll get a round next week easy... logged on 6am.. all fully booked instantly. no competitions on. when you go visit the club its entirely pensioners, that could play any time weekdays. Should clubs reserve times for working folks. at weekends? i know this is a controversial point, but golf is turning into an old folks game, as they have the time to book everything up.

 

[clubchamp98]

I can see the benefit of both. but. for working people (myself included) it's now impossible to get a Saturday or sunday morning round. This week i was awake at 05:30, as it goes live at 6am for 7 days ahead. thought I'll get a round next week easy... logged on 6am.. all fully booked instantly. no competitions on. when you go visit the club its entirely pensioners, that could play any time weekdays. Should clubs reserve times for working folks. at weekends? i know this is a controversial point, but golf is turning into an old folks game, as they have the time to book everything up.

How come all these pensioners are beating you to book the weekend tee times.? Fastest finger !
sounds like you have a problem shortcut on your booking system If it’s full straight away.
there was a thread about this last year.
nobody should get preference on tee times after all some “pensioners” are still working!

 

[Deleted member 29109]

I can see the benefit of both. but. for working people (myself included) it's now impossible to get a Saturday or sunday morning round. This week i was awake at 05:30, as it goes live at 6am for 7 days ahead. thought I'll get a round next week easy... logged on 6am.. all fully booked instantly. no competitions on. when you go visit the club its entirely pensioners, that could play any time weekdays. Should clubs reserve times for working folks. at weekends? i know this is a controversial point, but golf is turning into an old folks game, as they have the time to book everything up.

We have many seniors that do the same. Then they only play 9 holes. If they turn up at all at this time of year.

 

[Lord Tyrion]

I can see the benefit of both. but. for working people (myself included) it's now impossible to get a Saturday or sunday morning round. This week i was awake at 05:30, as it goes live at 6am for 7 days ahead. thought I'll get a round next week easy... logged on 6am.. all fully booked instantly. no competitions on. when you go visit the club its entirely pensioners, that could play any time weekdays. Should clubs reserve times for working folks. at weekends? i know this is a controversial point, but golf is turning into an old folks game, as they have the time to book everything up.

Are you saying that in a race of 'fastest finger', you are getting beaten by the seniors section? Going live at 6am is a bit daft, it should be more like 6pm to be fair to all. After that, it's just practice at timing your button press.

As to your point, no, if you are a full member then you should be able to play at all times. For me, that means removing set bookings as well such as seniors slots, mens and ladies comps etc for exclusive use. That's a whole other debate but my point is that if you pay the same fees then you can play whenever.

 

[D-S]

As many have said there are Pros and Cons of both. We have a hybrid, booking Saturdays, Tuesdays and Thursdays, roll up on the other days. This was accepted and has worked really well since the end of COVID restriction. Moving to all or nothing either way would alienate a significant proportion of the membership.

 

[clubchamp98]

Are you saying that in a race of 'fastest finger', you are getting beaten by the seniors section? Going live at 6am is a bit daft, it should be more like 6pm to be fair to all. After that, it's just practice at timing your button press.

As to your point, no, if you are a full member then you should be able to play at all times. For me, that means removing set bookings as well such as seniors slots, mens and ladies comps etc for exclusive use. That's a whole other debate but my point is that if you pay the same fees then you can play whenever.

We found 6pm to early , given traffic these days people can’t get home for 6pm so we went to 7pm.

we got rid of our booking system as people were filling the sheet up but not playing.
but if we just turned up there was nobody there , just no checking people that booked actually turned up.
a hybrid system was mooted but rejected.
unfortunately people are selfish and book tee times they don’t use and sod anyone else.
Just turning up is great and at least you get a game ,very rare to have to wait on the tee.

only Saturday comp has a booking system .